It’s that time of the year. We finally have left the cold, dark extremely icy and semi-depressing winter in our past.
For some of us, that means firing up the grill; for others, it may mean soaking up rays at the pool (don’t forget your SPF); and for some, it means lacing up those sneakers and hitting the pavement.
Running and summertime go hand in hand. After months of being locked indoors on a treadmill you can finally breathe some fresh air and get back to your outdoor jogs, sprints, marathons, whatever floats your boat.
Unfortunately, sometimes this can also cause some unexpected—and unwelcomed—knee pain.
Feeling knee pain while running in Kansas City (or after running) can have numerous causes, with different treatments for each.
Step One: Assess the Injury
The first thing we have to think about is your specific symptoms. The word “pain” can mean a lot of things to different people. Is your knee achy? Sharp? Popping or catching? Swelling or grinding?
Next, where is your knee pain? Is it in the front, on the inside/outside, all over, or actually more in your shin?
Knee Injury Treatments
If the pain is in the front of your knee, this might lead us to believe it is patellar tendinitis, which can be treated with rest, a specific knee brace, and oral and topical medications.
If your knee is painful medially or laterally and is popping or catching, we may believe it is a meniscus tear, which usually requires a quick and easy outpatient surgery to fix.
What about that chronically achy knee that swells up on you from time to time? Well, it may be good old fashioned arthritis, depending on your age. For arthritis, we can do injections, oral medications, or surgery to treat.
What is that annoying grinding sensation? Often it is chondromalacia patella, or more commonly known as runner’s knee. Runner’s knee is a very common problem that we treat often.
Pain that starts in your shin is likely shin-splints and can be treated with rest, compression socks, oral and topical medications and ice. However, it can also be a stress fracture, especially if you’re one of those crazy marathon runners who’s chasing that runner’s high daily.
There are other problems that may occur with the knee that we did not address above. Learn about other common summer injuries, or schedule an appointment in one of our offices.
Treatment for knee pain while running in Kansas City
All of these problems can be diagnosed and treated in our office. Some will only need an X-Ray, which we do upon your arrival. If warranted, additional testing, such as an MRI, may be ordered.
Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance can help.
We can prescribe medication and make suggestions on how to alleviate your pain and can even schedule physical therapy, if merited, to get you back to your best and strongest self.
Know that your goal is our goal. We want to get you back outside in this beautiful weather doing what you love. If you are having knee problems or knee pain with running in Kansas City, please give our office a call and we’ll do everything we can to get you back to your tip-top shape, whether that’s 1 mile or 26.2.
